In This Together
by wyntertwilight
Summary: An alternate and pre-Detty take on the 2x10 episode, Bananas For Betty. What might've happened if Betty had been on Daniel's team during the paintball fight?
1. Chapter 1

**In This Together**

**Disclaimer:** Believe me, if I owned Ugly Betty, you'd know. The Detty smex would never end :-P

**Summary:** An alternate and pre-Detty take on the 2x10 episode, _Bananas For Betty. _What might've happened if Betty had been on Daniel's team during the paintball fight?

**Notes: **So this is my first ever Ugly Betty fic, and I'm really scared about how this'll go down. But I had to at least attempt it. A friend and I were discussing how Betty should've been on Daniel's team, she suggested a certain scenario that would've been sweet to see, and the idea just grew from there in my head, into _this_.

I hope you enjoy it! -crosses fingers-

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"_A_ _paintball fight?_"

Daniel Meade crossed his arms defensively and tried not to feel like too much of an idiot, no easy feat considering the way his assistant and best friend Betty Suarez was staring at him incredulously with her infamous "what-on-Earth-were-you-thinking?" face. When he was younger, it used to be that only his dad had mastered the art of putting him down and making him feel like he was three inches tall (his mom had never been as harsh, although she'd been very good at playing the disappointment card and subsequently guilt-tripping him), and as he'd grown older, Daniel had quickly discovered that he didn't really care what other people thought of him, so long as he could do what he wanted and enjoy himself at the same time. But for some reason, now all it took was one long look from Betty, and he'd begin to squirm like a little boy in the Principal's office being lectured for sneaking into the girls changing rooms again. He was the one who mostly got it, too, and as a result, everyone else around the office now called it her Daniel!Face - something which he wasn't happy about, but had long ago had to accept, since there wasn't exactly anything he could do about it. Besides, he had to admit, she was usually justified in her use of it.

He felt that maybe this time it was a bit uncalled for, though.

"Yeah, why not? I mean, how else are Alexis and I going to agree on who gets to run the company?"

Betty rolled her eyes at him from her seat in front of his desk, and he resisted the urge to smirk at how cute she looked even when she was annoyed with him.

"Gee Daniel, I don't know. How about with sitting down and talking it out, like adults?!"

Damn, but she knew how to use sarcasm so that it hurt. He decided to opt for his winsome boy-ish charm that had worked in setting the hearts aflutter of oh, pretty much every female he had ever encountered in his life. And while Betty knew most of his tricks, even she wasn't immune to them all the time.

He smiled mischievously. "Yeah, but where's the fun in that?"

Betty groaned, her head falling into her hands, and Daniel dropped all pretences, needing to hear her approval of his idea before he'd feel fully confident about going ahead with it. He rose out of his seat quickly and came around the desk, dropping to the floor in front of her and placing his hands on her knees, gazing up at her in earnest. She said nothing, just stared back at him in silence, waiting to hear what he'd say.

"C'mon Betty! You know as well as I do that Alexis and I could sit down with the best lawyers Dad's money can buy, argue for _days_ and still not be any closer to deciding who's in charge. It's just not in our nature."

Betty's eyebrows rose to the top of her head in disbelief. "But fighting is?"

Daniel shrugged nonchalantly in reply. "Pretty much." Seeing that Betty was about to retort, he hurriedly went on. "Besides, it's not like we have any other choice, since we never actually got to hear who Dad was going to pick himself."

A blush crept up Betty's cheeks instantly, a sheepish look clouding her face, and Daniel chuckled, patting her knee to console her.

"It's okay. At least this way I know I have a really good chance of beating Alexis, rather than trying to convince myself that our father was a closet gangster who called me 'my Daniel'. Who am I kidding? He would never choose me over her."

It was Betty's turn to provide comfort, as she placed one hand over Daniel's and squeezed it tightly, chocolate-brown orbs brimming with sympathy. He didn't have to say anything for her to know how much the gesture meant to him - such was the depth of their friendship. Daniel knew that to the casual observer, the physical appearance of the two of them put together was quite frankly, a bizarre pairing that boggled the mind, but he didn't give two shits about it because the emotional connection they shared far outweighed any he'd ever had with any other human being, and if others didn't understand it, well, it was no personal loss for him. She was the least likely person he'd have expected to become such a constant figure within his life, but now that she was, he struggled to contemplate how he'd get on without her. It _was_ bizarre, the whole thing, but somehow it just felt…right.

Suddenly aware of where his thoughts were going, and the warmth of their hands touching, Daniel cleared his throat and flashed Betty a smile, straightening up and leaning on the desk behind him. She knew better than to take his withdrawal personally though, and didn't look particularly hurt as she looked up at him, the thoughtfulness yet apprehension written clearly in her expression.

Daniel decided he wasn't above begging, if that's what it would take to get her on board. "C'mon, Betty, please," he implored her with a gentler tone than before. "I really need to know you're on my side over this."

She blew out a long sigh, the hot air lifting a few stray strands of her fringe before they settled back on her forehead in that erratic-yet-endearing Betty way. "Always, Daniel. It's just…_a paintball fight?_ Are you sure about this?"

He nodded, a full grin stretching across his face as he recognised the signs of weary acceptance, and he couldn't help but slap the desk in excitement. "Hey, at least it's not bare-knuckle boxing!"

Her eyes widened in horror at the thought, and she jumped out of her seat to address him, finger pointing fiercely at his chest. "Don't even think about ever suggesting that to me, or I'll be seriously forced to knock some sense into you." The whole latter part of the sentence was punctuated with jabs. "And I'm not a violent person!" Jab, jab, jab, jab.

Daniel laughed as he moved out of her reach, leaning over to get his suit jacket off the back of his seat before slipping it on. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

Betty must have sensed the slight teasing behind his words, because her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms, pupils glinting dangerously. "Or I'll just lock you in the make-up cupboard with Marc and Amanda."

He stopped in the middle of fixing the cuffs of his shirt, staring at her, but as she stared back relentlessly, he gave in, lifting his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! No bare-knuckle boxing, I get it."

Betty relaxed a little, motioning him over and proceeding to straighten up his collar and tie, muttering softly under her breath the whole time. Daniel wisely chose to remain silent as she smoothed down the planes of his jacket, and even when she wet her thumb with her saliva to supposedly wipe off a mark on his cheek (it didn't matter how close they were, he still found that weird). When she was done, he smiled a thank you and made to head out for his lunch meeting, but stopped suddenly in the doorway, spinning around to address her as if he'd forgotten something.

"Oh yeah, um…about that whole being on my side thing. I really appreciate that, you know I do, but for the paintball fight specifically, I meant that I literally needed you on my side. You'll be on my team!"

Betty's mouth dropped in indignant shock, but Daniel was already practically running through the offices and towards the elevators before she could even respond. He was inside and facing the closing doors by the time she caught up, sliding to a stop on the marble floor, and staring daggers at him.

He waved jovially. "Don't worry, Betty, it'll work out fine! I know what I'm doing, trust me!"

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So what do you think so far? Clicky the button and let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

**In This Together**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing Ugly Betty. Not even the boxset! -cries-

**Summary:** An alternate and pre-Detty take on the 2x10 episode, _Bananas For Betty. _What might've happened if Betty had been on Daniel's team during the paintball fight?

**Notes: **You guys! squees along with you Thank you so much for the positive review on my first chapter! I was really quite nervous about this so it makes me happy that it's been well received so far. Of course that might all change, but oh well!

On to part 2, enjoy!

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"The man is a bloody numpty!"

Betty, having just taken a massive bite out of her turkey and sun-dried tomato baguette, could do nothing but chew and give her friend a reproachful look. "He's not a numpty, he's just…"

"A bit of an eejit?" Christina McKinney bluntly suggested as she poked at her "super-healthy" pasta salad with a fork, peering down at it with something akin to mistrust. "A wee tube?"

"Okay, it's not fair that you're using odd Scottish words I don't really understand to insult Daniel's intelligence…"

Christina conceded with a wave of her napkin, swallowing her mouthful with a grimace before replying. "I'll admit that our youngest Meade is smarter than alot of people give him credit for, but you can't seriously think this is a good idea too?"

"Of course not, but he and Alexis have already agreed that's what they're going to do, so I have to support him," Betty replied glumly. "Even if I do think talking him out of it is the better option."

She caught Christina's shrewd glance, and immediately wished she could take back her last sentence. Rather than giving anything away though, she looked back at her as if to ask "whaaat?", even though she had a feeling she knew what was on the vivacious blonde's mind. Maybe if she played it innocently enough, the topic could be avoided altogether.

"I get the whole supporting him because he's your friend thing, but since you're so opposed to the entire idea, tell me again why exactly you're going to be fighting on his team?"

Damn, no such luck.

"Well, if Daniel can't count on me to be on his team, who else would he ask?" Betty stated casually. "Besides, a really good friend would do something to show their support, which is why I said I'd do it. And that's also why, as a favour to me, you'll be fighting with us!" She grinned widely.

Christina stared at her for a whole five seconds before she burst into laughter. "One, no way in hell, and two, yeah right! I know you, Betty, and I also know how stubborn you can be when you make your mind up, so I can only imagine just how opposed you were to doing this. Although that probably didn't last long. I bet all he had to do was turn those heart-stopping blue eyes on you and you gave in straightaway."

"No!"

"You did, admit it."

"That is so _not_ what happened."

"It's okay Betty, no woman can resist the lure of Daniel Meade's infamous soul-stricken dazzlers, why should you be any different?"

"Christina, I have a boyfriend! With brown eyes! Stop making it sound like I eye-cheated on him!"

Christina nudged her in the ribs impishly. "I have a husband and I'd do more than eye-cheat on him with Daniel, if he looked at me the same way he does with you sometimes."

Betty groaned, desperately trying to stop the inexplicable blush from spreading, and failing miserably. She swatted her at her friend lightly, telling her to stop talking rubbish and get on with her poor excuse for a lunch, the two settling in a comfortable silence while eating their respective meals. Inevitably, and not to any of her surprise, her mind began to wander.

If a person's eyes really were the windows to their soul, Daniel's not only provided a wide and open gateway, but laid his entire essence bare. More than once, Betty herself had been drawn to those blue depths, captivated by the vast range of emotions she found there. When she'd first become his assistant, it hadn't taken her long to work out that while he was fairly good at masking his feelings or thoughts by adopting a passive expression at a moment's notice, one look at his eyes would give him away instantly. And each look conveyed a million fleeting sentiments, the most common of which, it had hurt her heart to realise, was an underlying sense of inner turmoil. Depending on his mood too, the shade of colour seemed to vary - twinkling sky blue in his happier moments, stormy midnight azure when he was angry or hurt, and deep, _deep_, cobalt for intensity. Yup, Daniel's eyes were definitely two-of-a-kind, and she could deny it to Christina all she wanted, but she was most definitely a sucker for them.

Betty sighed inwardly, although she couldn't help but let a small smile escape her as an image of the orbs in question flashed into her mind. Being as perceptive as she was, Christina picked up on it almost immediately, nodding significantly and winking in a knowing manner while mouthing "ol' blue eyes" at her. Rather than take the bait again, Betty pushed on another subject.

"So can I expect to see you tonight, for the paintball fight?"

Christina started shaking her head, but stopped when she saw her friend's pleading look.

"C'mon Christina, if Daniel can't count on you to be - "

"Yes yes, then he's got no-one else to bleeding ask," Christina finished impatiently. "Fine, I'll do it. But tell him I'm expecting a massive raise if we win. And I want dental."

"Yes! Thank you so much." Betty shot her a grateful look, scribbling something down on her ever-present notepad. "And don't worry, Amanda already covered both of those and more."

"Amanda? Och, we're screwed."

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I thank thee in advance for thy reviews. Even you, "story alert" people :-P Yeah, I see you lurking! No but seriously, any and all feedback is much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**In This Together**

**Disclaimer:** Do I look like I'm Silvio Horta? No! That should hopefully clear up any ownership issues :-P

**Summary:** An alternate and pre-Detty take on the 2x10 episode, _Bananas For Betty. _What might've happened if Betty had been on Daniel's team during the paintball fight?

**Notes:** -hugs reviewers- You know I love you, right? So, I present part 3. Sorry I took a while in updating, it's not even like I was writing this because the entire story is actually finished (and has been for a while) - I just forgot to post the new chapter -sheepish look- So, I included Kenny in this chapter, because I LOVE him, and I just hope I've done the justice of his voice well. Let me know what you think!

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"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this," Betty moaned loudly through gritted teeth, throwing Daniel a look as she zipped up her sleeveless leather jacket over the protective blue top. "I look like a complete idiot! And this outfit makes me feel like a beached whale."

Amanda sniggered. "Which is fortunate, because it just so happens that you look like one too." She burst into a fit of crazy giggles, looking around her team-mates for support and instead being met with wholly un-amused faces. The giggles died down and she turned away with a haughty hair flick, muttering softly to herself. "I miss Marc."

Having been struggling into his outfit in the men's room, Henry came back just in time to see Daniel shake his head in disbelief, then glance across the room to lock eyes with Betty, who only shrugged in reply. He watched the unknowing pair as Daniel motioned his head a fraction towards Amanda, and Betty frowned slightly, mouthing something back to him. He didn't seem convinced by her answer, raising his eyebrows in question, staring at her intently, but she nodded firmly and flashed him a grateful smile. Daniel visibly relaxed, giving her a returning smile that, for some strange reason, instantly set Henry on edge. At first glance, their actions were completely innocent, a straightforward, amicable gesture between friends, but because he'd been watching so closely, he thought he saw something akin to more than just regular affection. Neither of them seemed to dwell on it though, and as Daniel shifted his attention over to a certain Scottish seamstress and attempted to negotiate her hipflask away from her, he made his way over to Betty, coming up behind her.

"How do you do that?"

Betty jumped slightly, turning to face him with paintball gun in hand. Sensing the non-threat, she kissed his cheek before attempting to go back to loading her weapon. "How does who do what?"

"You and Daniel. It's like the two of you communicate in your own private language sometimes."

Betty chuckled. "I didn't even know we did that - it just comes with the job, I guess!"

Henry chuckled briefly before glancing over to where Daniel and Christina were locked in a scuffle over the flask. "It seemed like that was a deep conversation though. Did I miss something important?"

She struggled with the flap on the pellet compartment for a second before answering him. "No, that was just Amanda being Amanda and Daniel being his usual overprotective self." It finally closed with a snap, and she beamed up at him. "Ah-ha! Got it."

Before he could ask her what she meant, he was interrupted by the man in question.

"No Christina, you can get it back after the fight!"

"I'm gonna need it well before that, I'm telling you," came the gloomy reply.

"Yeah, well, you've had enough as it is, so…tough." Daniel looked over the room to address everyone. "Okay team, it's time. Let's head out!"

Betty audibly let out a groan as she fell in line on Daniel's right side, Amanda and Christina on his left, Henry following her. An ominous feeling seemed to overpower her, and she couldn't help but shudder, looking up at her friend significantly.

"Daniel, I know I said I'd support you, but this is officially the worst idea you've ever had."

"Aw, Betty, don't be such a spoilsport! It'll be fun. And you have to admit, the outfits are pretty cool." He glanced over his own, smiling with satisfaction at the way his padded vest sat snugly and form-fitting against his chest. Betty rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disagreement. "Definitely the best use of company funds."

"Um, I don't think we can officially write these off as a legitimate business expense," Henry said worriedly.

Their discussion was cut short as the group turned into the circular corridor, instantly spotting their opposition who had just arrived at the other end. The teams made their way towards each other, slowly and deliberately, eyeing each other over and sizing up the competition. Betty took some consolation in the fact that Nick Pepper dressed in spandex looked like even more of an idiot than the rest of them put together, while she heard Henry's sharp intake of breath at the sight of his accounting partner on Alexis' side. She watched with apprehension as the Meade siblings stopped within a few inches of each other, a deadly determination written clear on each face, and not for the first time since Daniel had told her of the plan, she had a fleeting image of how horribly wrong the whole thing could go.

It was far too late to do anything about it now, though, so she supposed she should get a grip and just get on with it, for Daniel's sake.

Out of nowhere, Kenny, who had been staring at Henry with his eyes narrowed, spoke up. "Yo man, is this for real? You gonna take your girl and her loser boss's side over mine?" He laughed. "Man, he don't know nothing 'bout how to care of

business."

"Hey!" Betty pitched in indignantly, taking a step forward and causing Kenny to raise his gun in retaliation. "That loser is your boss too!"

Daniel held an arm out in front of her, willing her to stay back and calm down. "It's okay, Betty."

Seeing that she wasn't going to pump him full of paint for the time being, Kenny turned his attention back to his colleague.

"Seriously man, I thought we was partners-in-crime. Ain't nobody or no numbers that could mess with us, we smashed through them straight-up! And now you're gonna cut me like this?"

Everyone turned their heads to look at Henry, waiting expectantly for an answer. For his part, he stood dumbfounded, at a loss as to what to say. When he finally opened his mouth to reply, stammering, Kenny held up a hand to stop him.

"I don't wanna hear it, yo. I just got three words for you" - he flipped up three fingers for emphasis - "bros before hos, dawg. Bros before hos."

Betty, still a bit bitter about the loser comment, couldn't resist. "That's seven words, genius."

There was a heavy silence in which everyone took in the weight of Kenny's statement, before Alexis cleared her throat, muttering _"__wow__" _as she did so. "Anyway…the rules are, there are no rules. It's a simple fight to the death."

Daniel nodded in slow agreement. "Captain of the winning team gets control of the whole company."

"As captain -"

"Oh shut up, you Fiddy wannabe, before I shoot you in the face," Christina said, exasperated.

The Meade siblings collectively nodded a thanks in her direction, before ordering their respective teams to follow them out towards the parking garage. Betty strode alongside Daniel, throwing dark looks at Kenny and ranting the whole time.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about Daniel, of course you know how to take care of business. You've been editor-in-chief of Mode for almost two years! What does he think you've been doing all that time, sleeping on the job? Okay, you had that thing about sleeping with any and every model you came across, but you're much better about that now, and it's not like you let the magazine suffer because of it. And sure, there was that time you hid out at my house when you were depressed, but you were the one who figured out the photo-shoot problem in the end. Besides, Sofia broke your heart, I think we can let that one go. And look at how you took charge when Wilhelmina tried to screw Mode over, that's some of the hardest and most dedicated work anyone has ever seen from you! If that's not taking care of business, I don't know what is."

She finally stopped to take a breath, giving Daniel a chance to interrupt before she started again.

"Betty, really, it's okay! You don't need to try and make me feel better, because I know better than to take Kenny of all people seriously," he grinned, hearing her laugh. "But just the fact that you'd defend me like that…it means alot Betty, thank you."

On impulse, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it, wanting her to know just how much he appreciated her being there for him, not just then, but for the entire time they'd known each other. Truth be told, Daniel knew how much of a screw up he had been through the years, how he'd been the cause of so much anger, pain and disappointment within his family and his family's business. When he thought back over the less savoury moments of his life, he couldn't help but hate himself more than a little, wishing desperately that he could go back and do it all again, be someone his parents, especially his father, would be proud of. Time and time again, he was plagued with repetitive patterns of self-doubt, fear that he'd never be able to amount to anything, and a creeping dread that he would remain a failure forever, but having Betty in his life changed all that. Just a little bit of hope from that amazing woman would have been enough to keep him going forever, but her infinite faith in him, her constant belief that he was a good man, made him feel like he could conquer anything, and so it was for her he felt like he should, and would, keep trying.

His gesture took her by surprise, but her hand was tense for only a second before she returned it without hesitation. She glanced up at him to see his ocean-blue orbs focused directly on her, full of fondness, thanks, adoration and…Betty felt her breath catch in her throat, wondering if she could be seeing things. The last time she'd seen him look at another person like that, it had all ended in heartbreak, and oh God, she had to think about something else before she went crazy with the implications. She thought of how much had happened since then, how much Daniel especially had had to endure, but how despite all the odds, he'd come out of it fairly strong. It was a far cry from the days of not giving a damn, this newfound acceptance of responsibility, and she knew he wasn't perfect, that he'd made some mistakes and bad choices along the way, but she was proud beyond belief of the way he'd grown up through the time they'd known each other (present situation not included). His flaws were part of what drew her to him, she realised, part of what made him who he was. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

They let go of each other's hands as one, each lost in their own whirlwind of thoughts, though both essentially coming to the same conclusion. Whatever happened, with the paintball fight, with Alexis, the company, anything, they were a team, and they were in it for the long haul.

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Reviews are love, and if you leave me one, I'll make you Daniel-shaped cookies :-D


	4. Chapter 4

**In This Together**

**Disclaimer: **I own...nothing.

**Summary: **An alternate and pre-Detty take on the 2x10 episode, _Bananas For Betty. _What might've happened if Betty had been on Daniel's team during the paintball fight?

**Notes:** Your comments make me squee so much, seriously. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far! I am muchly grateful.

I hope you're still enjoying the story after this chapter. I can't help but feel I go off on a bit of a tangent at some point, but...I don't know what to do about it XD There's only 2 parts left after this bit anyway, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much. Read on and let me know what you thought!

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Daniel crouched behind a desk with the rest of his team, taking in a quick scan of the surrounding area. It didn't look as if there were any intruders, but with little lighting on throughout the Mode floor, and the lightning from the raging storm outside throwing the offices into brightness only now and again, it was kind of hard to tell. Of all the ways he'd imagined the paintball fight playing out, this had not been at the top of the list. In fact, it hadn't been on the list at all until all of half-an-hour ago, when he'd received a call on his cell from the manager at the paintball field, regretfully informing him that because of the oncoming storm, they were closing until further notice. Daniel had dejectedly informed everyone else, and Betty, unmistakably relieved but sensing his vast disappointment, had instantly moved to console him. He thought he'd been so ready to fight for and gain his dad's coveted former position, but apparently, he remembered with a humourless smile, not as much as his sister. With a shout, she'd proclaimed the fight well and truly on, and let off a cheap shot straight at Betty's unprotected back. If Daniel hadn't been looking over her shoulder and seen it coming, it would definitely have hit her, but as it was, he'd grabbed her and yanked her forward so it missed, Betty's body slamming straight against his with the force of the pull.

They'd both slightly reeled from the impact, although staring down into her wide eyes, Daniel himself had felt a spark course through his body from how close she had been to him. There had been no time to dwell on it though, as Alexis had grinned wickedly and raised her gun, running away to take cover with her team-mates right behind her. Somehow the thought that he should probably do the same had computed in his mind, and so Daniel found himself playing a bizarre version of hide-and-seek. They'd kept moving, not staying in the same place for too long for fear of being caught, but it finally seemed like luck was on their side. He looked around his team's shadowed faces, using two fingers to point at his eyes and indicate they should keep a lookout, avoiding speaking for as long as necessary so they wouldn't give away their position.

"WHAT?"

Daniel tried not to look at Amanda too reproachfully, while the rest of the group took no such care. Christina and Henry rolled their eyes with a tut, and Betty emitted a soft groan, smacking her palm against her forehead. Amidst the silence in the office, the impact sent the sound ringing clear through the room, and everyone froze, waiting to see if one of the enemy had heard. A few tense seconds passed before they allowed themselves to breathe freely and relax, and Daniel hurried to speak before something else happened that got them cornered, screwed and stuck without a plan.

"Okay, here's what we'll do. Henry, you cover the closet, Betty, Christina, I want you to take reception, and Amanda, you've got the bullpen."

"I want the closet," Amanda declared.

Christina and Daniel answered at the same time. "No!"

"Actually, it might be a better idea for Amanda to cover the closet," Henry whispered nervously. "It's unfamiliar territory for me, I wouldn't even know where to start."

Amanda looked smug.

"Nuh-uh, you're just gonna steal stuff," Daniel stated. Christina nodded fervently in agreement.

"Why doesn't Christina take the closet, and Henry and I will cover reception instead?" Betty spoke up. "She knows it better than any of us, and that way Amanda doesn't get to steal anything."

The blonde receptionist threw her a "ha ha, very funny" look of contempt, but Betty took it in good nature, giving her a full smile in reply.

"Well…I suppose so," Daniel replied dubiously. He didn't know why, but having Betty and Henry pair up suddenly filled him with an odd feeling. He didn't really like it, if he was being honest with himself, because he would rather have Betty as _his_ partner. That was the way it always went.

He couldn't say anything though, as the rest of the team nodded in agreement and everyone prepared to move and take their assigned spots. For a fleeting moment, he thought that if things kept going their way, they might actually have a chance of winning - _he_ might actually have a chance at beating Alexis again.

He should've known it was too good to be true.

A horrible roaring filled his ears, and he turned in horror to see his big sister standing at the front of a clothing rack that drew closer and closer as it was pushed rapidly in their direction. She held two guns, and as he watched compulsively, she aimed them and let loose.

Daniel yelled at his team to find cover, before he hit the deck.

Betty landed on the floor right next to him, and even through the chaos, she read his question before he could mouth anything, giving him a lopsided thumbs up to indicate she was okay before covering her head with her hands. He could hear the panicked and muffled curses of everyone else and prayed that at least one other person made it through unmarked. The shots whooshed over him, ruffling the top of his hair and just barely missing it, and he pushed his head down as far as he could, hoping it would all be over soon - it felt as if the assault lasted forever, when in reality it wasn't even more than a few seconds. There was a momentary lapse in the shooting, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Betty start to lift her head to check if the coast was clear. Impulsively he reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, keeping her head in place. Not too soon, as a stray pellet harmlessly whizzed through the space she'd just been occupying. Holding his breath expectantly, he waited for the noise to fade and for a safe moment to come out, so he could assess the damage that had been done.

As soon as the clanking of the wheels on the clothing rack grew fainter, Daniel pushed himself off the ground, fingers unconsciously running through Betty's hair before letting go. Luckily, everyone else was too preoccupied to notice, though if he'd paid closer attention to the recipient in question, he'd have seen that she herself had definitely noticed, eyes fluttering shut and an involuntary shiver running down her spine at the intimate gesture. As it was, he saw nothing, instead leaning on the desk for support and casting an eye over his team-mates, who were also all wearily picking themselves up and checking for paint splotches. To his immense relief, it looked as if through some miracle, everyone was okay, although -

"Oh, bollocks."

Christina lay sprawled on the floor, a big glob of yellow paint splashed clearly across her backside. Henry leaned down to help pick her up, and she blinked rapidly at them all, her eyebrows raised, taking in their sombre faces with an expression similar to that of a startled owl, although that might have had something to do with the fact that she was a bit drunk. She placed a hand on the injured area, wincing slightly at the impact, then shrugged and looked at Daniel inquisitively.

"Flask, please."

Daniel sighed, before taking it out of the pouch he'd been hiding it in and handing it over.

"Thank you! And now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get pissed," Christina cheerfully waved them all goodbye as she made her way to the elevators. "Oh, and good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!"

The remaining four exchanged silent glances as they picked up their guns and with unspoken agreement, got the hell out of the area before Alexis decided to come back for more. Daniel took some comfort from the fact that Christina's elimination meant that at least Betty and Henry wouldn't be paired together anymore, and he had to turn away from the group so they wouldn't see the inappropriately-timed grin spreading across his face.

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I wouldn't blame you if you were bored of me by now, but if I'm still holding your interest, please review and let me know!


	5. Chapter 5

**In This Together**

**Disclaimer: **As much as I want it, Ugly Betty will never be mine.

**Summary:** An alternate and pre-Detty take on the 2x10 episode, _Bananas For Betty. _What might've happened if Betty had been on Daniel's team during the paintball fight?

**Notes:** Huge thanks to all the reviewers who have stuck with me up until this point, I love you all for it. As for what Henry did...I'll leave that up to your imagination :-P Confused? Read on!

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Henry crawled along the floor, heart hammering in his chest and in serious danger of having a panic-attack there and then. He couldn't believe what he'd just done; who would've thought that he'd be capable? He'd been raised better than that, and the thought of what his mother would say to him if she could see her son now made him cringe inside. This fight had changed him, far worse than he could have expected. All he wanted to do now was find Betty and get out of there before something else happened. He reached the circular reception desk and leaned against it, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down with what limited peace he had.

"Psst! Henry!"

He just about jumped out of his skin at the voice that suddenly came out of nowhere, and his eyes flew open to see Betty's head peering at him from over the desk.

"Jeez, Betty, what're you doing?! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Henry exclaimed, holding a hand over his heart to demonstrate how close it had been.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I didn't know how else to get your attention," Betty apologised in hushed tones, checking for unwanted company before focusing her attention back on him. She frowned as she properly took in his state of distress. "Henry, what's wrong? What happened to you?"

"Oh Betty, it was horrible," he said, scrambling to his knees so he could face her across the desk. "I don't know what came over me, it just came down to this kill or be killed moment and I was so selfish, I can't believe it."

She listened to his ramble, staring with mouth slightly open. "What are you talking about?"

"Betty, just trust me, we need to leave."

Something clicked in her brain, and forgetting that they were in kind of a compromising position in the midst of a paintball fight, Betty pinpointed Henry's last sentence. "What do you mean, we need to leave?"

"I mean we need to get out of here Betty, I can't take this anymore!"

"I'm sorry Henry, but I can't exactly just leave…"

"Why not? Betty please, I'm asking you this seriously, come with me so we can just get out of here, and I can put this nightmare behind me!"

Betty was thoroughly confused by now, not to mention a little bit irked. "Henry, I'm sorry about whatever happened to you, I really am, but I'm not just going to get up and leave like this - not when I'm not dead, and not when Daniel is relying on me!"

She was dumbfounded as to why her boyfriend was acting so weird, and pretty much stunned that he'd even suggest something like that to her. He knew how important this battle was to their boss, how desperately he wanted to win the Chairman position and prove to everyone that he was more than just a pretty face and wasn't a complete screw up, like so many believed. Betty had nothing against Alexis personally - the two had become friends following everything that had happened after the accident, but first and foremost, Daniel was her employer, and more importantly, her best friend. It was safe to assume that she would do everything in her power to help him get this. He had asked for her help, and even if she hadn't exactly approved of how she had to help him, she would do it all the same. He'd had too many people in his life who had just left him, too little people he could really depend on, and she wasn't about to become one of them.

Before she could even begin to explain any of this to Henry though, she spotted a flash of white and yellow turn the corner.

"Henry, look out!"

He turned around too late, and found Kenny standing a few feet away from him, gun pointed directly at his chest. Betty, meanwhile, had ducked and kicked open the door to the desk, sliding out along the floor and attempting to find cover.

"Well well well…we meet again, homie."

Henry raised his hands weakly. "Kenny, I know you're still annoyed wi-"

Kenny made a sharp zipping motion across his mouth. "Chill. You shoulda guessed your time of reckoning with the K-meister was coming, bro." He chuckled. "This is gonna be sweeeeet."

He raised his gun and aimed, before something occurred to him and he lowered it again.

"By-the-by, that was some phat shit you pulled on Stella and Karen, my man. Those hos'll prolly be scarred for life. I gotta give you props for that. But I'm still gonna shoot you, cos that's just the way I roll, y'know?"

Betty, having managed to double round and come up behind Kenny, couldn't stop him from shooting Henry, but she could shoot him right afterwards, effectively eliminating him too. Which she did.

"You're right, Kenny. That WAS sweet."

He put a hand on his back and touched the spot where he'd been hit, staring at the paint on his gloved fingers in disbelief before turning around to glare at her. He didn't have a chance to say anything though, as she shot him again, this time in his front. He let out a howl of pain and grimaced, rubbing the sore spot.

"Damn, girl! Why you so trigger happy, give that shit a rest!"

"That was for calling Daniel a loser."

Brow furrowed, he barely opened his mouth to reply before she let go another shot. It hit him square in the chest, and Kenny couldn't help but drop to his knees from the sheer soreness. Betty looked down at his squirming figure matter-of-factly before continuing.

"And _that_ was for calling me a ho."

"You know Betty, it's a shame you became so wrapped up in getting your revenge, because I really thought that with you on his team, Daniel really had a chance at winning. I guess I was wrong."

Betty felt as if her stomach had just dropped to her feet, as the familiar voice sent a chill filtering through her veins. She turned around slowly to face a smug Alexis Meade, weapon raised and ready to shoot, and inwardly cursed herself at her stupidity. Now she'd be eliminated, and she had no idea what condition the rest of her team-mates were in. For all she knew, she might have been the last hope, and she'd just blown it completely. She had no doubt that even if that was the case, Daniel would forgive her, but she'd have a hard time convincing herself that she deserved it. She stood frozen in place, waiting for the inevitable splat that would signal the end.

Alexis pressed the trigger, and in the same instant, a blur came rushing out in front of Betty, shouting something she didn't quite catch because all she could hear was her heart pounding insanely loudly in her ears; everything seemed to happen in slow motion as she watched numerous paint pellets fly not only towards where she was standing, but in the opposite direction. In an instant, the scene seemed to flash back to normal and Betty became aware of a lot of people yelling around her, but her eyes were drawn to the figure who had jumped in front of her and to all intents and purposes, taken the bullets for her.

"_Daniel?!_"

He squinted up at her with a goofy grin. "Hey Betty." Lifting his head slightly, he looked down over his protective vest and took in the new multicoloured paint decoration. "Ah good, it worked."

Betty dropped to her knees beside him, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. She ran a hand over where he'd been hit multiple times, stopping when he drew in a sharp breath from the pain. He gave her a reassuring smile and placed one of his hands over her own, keeping it in place. More to stop her own blush from spreading than anything else, she put her other hand behind his back and helped him into a sitting position. But before she could ask him to explain what exactly was going on, he looked up at Alexis, smirking, and Betty followed her gaze.

She gasped as she noticed that Alexis had been shot too.

"Dammit, Danny! You just had to get in my way, again! And you shot me!"

"Yup," he stated with a grin. "Just couldn't help myself."

"But this means…," Alexis' sentence trailed off as the implications of what Daniel had just done hit her. Her eyes widened, mouth dropped and she took a staggering step back, the weight of the knowledge crashing over her. Daniel and Betty exchanged confused looks, not knowing what exactly her problem was, and as they looked at Henry and Kenny, they saw that the two of them were just as clueless.

"Yo, the chick-a-dude is freaking out for real, and it's creeping me out, man."

"Alexis, do you want to explain why you're acting so wierd?" Daniel prompted. "We're all kinda in the dark here."

She turned blank eyes on him. "You win."

"I - what?"

"You win. Henry pretty much decimated Karen and Stella." He let out a tortured groan at the description. "I passed Nick and Amanda on the way here, but she'd already shot him before I got her. Your little sacrifice means Betty's the only one who hasn't been hit, making your team the winners, and you the new Chairman of Meade Publications. I - congratulations, Danny."

With those words, she turned on her heel and stalked out before anyone could say anything.

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So there we have it! There's the moment that sparked off this whole fic in the first place - Daniel jumping in front of Betty during the paintball fight. It's a cute notion, isn't it? I hope you guys think so too!


	6. Chapter 6

**In This Together**

**Disclaimer: **I offered them 10 bucks, they said no.

**Summary: **An alternate and pre-Detty take on the 2x10 episode, _Bananas For Betty. _What might've happened if Betty had been on Daniel's team during the paintball fight?

**Notes: **So here it is, the last chapter, sort of a closing scene for the "episode", if you will. Thank you SO much to everyone who read and reviewed the story, it meant a lot to me. For the last time, I hope you enjoy :-) P.S. And I swear I had Daniel being enthusiastic about a chair before _Zero Worship_ aired! You can imagine how much I laughed when I saw that scene in the episode ;-)

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Daniel sat in his father's old chair, hands spread flat on the big desk, the wood cold beneath his palms. He wasn't doing anything in particular, just sitting, touching, _being _and still not quite believing where he was. If anyone had told him a week ago that after having battled his sister in a paintball fight, he'd solely be in charge of his family's entire multi-million dollar industry, he'd have laughed them off and then asked for some of whatever they were smoking. To say he hadn't quite come to terms with it was an understatement. Even though he had won the tree-house when he was younger, somewhere in the back of his mind had been a niggling doubt that he'd be able to win this from Alexis, not when he knew she possessed much of the killer instinct their father had been talking about. But he had, fair and square, and now Meade Publications was his. He drummed his fingers on the desk, a grin forming on his face as he thought about what that actually meant. Meade was really his. He kicked back from the desk, swivelling about in the chair as a giddy feeling washed over him.

"If you want some more alone time with the chair, I can always come back later."

Daniel swung around to face Betty, who was standing in the doorway and watching him, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He couldn't even bring himself to feel embarrassed, as he grinned in reply and jumped up from his seat, pushing the chair back behind the desk before coming round the front and leaning back on the edge, motioning Betty to sit down. She did, plopping down with a soft sigh and closing her eyes.

"Betty, is everything okay?" he asked, immediately concerned.

She lazily cranked one eye open. "Oh yeah, everything's fine! It's just, you can tell this is really good leather." She wriggled deeper into her seat.

He chuckled, watching her try to get comfier, undoubted warmth in his gaze and just feeling incredibly lucky that she was a part of his life. She must've sensed he was staring though, because she opened her eyes to look straight into his, brown locking with blue and an unmistakeable electricity charging the air between them.

"What?"

Daniel tapped his foot randomly and tried to look nonchalant. "What? Nothing."

Betty looked sceptical. "If you say so."

Trying to get her mind off the fact that he'd been openly gawking at her, he cleared his throat and looked around the luxurious office. "Can you believe I'm really here, Betty? I mean, honestly, tell me the truth. Did you ever think when you first joined Mode as my assistant, that you'd live to see the day I of all people became chairman of the entire company?"

Betty snorted, then hastily tried to cover it up as a cough when Daniel glared at her. "The thought might've crossed my mind…" He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, it totally didn't, but that was obviously stupidity on my part. Look at you now!"

"Ha, yeah. Look at me now."

There was no mistaking the uncertainty in his tone, and Betty frowned, not liking the sudden negative change in mood.

"Daniel, what -?"

"Really look at me, Betty! What am I doing here? Seriously? I mean, what if I'm just the same screw-up I was back when I first met you? I'll just end up making a mess of everything like I usually do. I don't think I can do this."

She expelled a sigh, feeling for her friend's predicament. Leaning forward, she gave him a sharp smack upside the head in answer.

"OW! What was that for?!" Daniel rubbed the offended area, looking at her in disbelief and with a slightly hurt expression.

"To snap you out of feeling sorry for yourself. I **know** how much you've changed since I first joined Mode, because I've been with you through the growing up process. I've seen it myself - you're not a screw-up Daniel, and you can do this. You just have to believe in yourself. I know I do."

He looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah, well…you didn't have to hit me. I prefer your non-violent pep talks."

Her reply was to stick her tongue out at him.

He shook his head at her as she got up from the chair, stretching before making her way to the door. Suddenly remembering why she'd come to talk to him in the first place, Betty whirled back around.

"Um, Daniel?"

"Yup?" He was back in his father's chair, rooting through one of the desk drawers.

"Why did you jump in front of me when Alexis was going to shoot me?"

Daniel's head shot up from behind the desk in surprise, and he looked like a deer caught in headlights, but she pressed on.

"You didn't even know that by doing it, we'd win. So...why did you do it?"

There was a moment of silence before he spoke.

"Truthfully?"

She nodded, and he didn't know why, but all of a sudden, he felt heated under her gaze and his throat felt parched, so he moved out of the seat, turning to look away.

"I - I don't really know. I just did it without really thinking about it. Instinctively…sort of like a reflex, I guess. I saw you, I saw Alexis pointing the gun, and I jumped."

She didn't reply, and he avoided her gaze, afraid of being met with laughter. When he thought back, he didn't even know why he'd reacted the way he had - it wasn't as if she'd been in a life-threatening situation (_'__it was paintball!__'_, his mind screamed at him), and the more he dwelled on it, the more stupid he felt. The silence stretched on between them, and unable to bear it any longer, he sneaked a peek at her, only to find her staring at him with a mixed expression of wonder, and…something else. Daniel's heart skipped a beat as he thought of the implications of what that something else could be, but he said nothing, just waited for Betty to make her move. She strode around the desk towards him, and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck and hugging him tightly. He responded to the familiar gesture immediately, holding her close with his hands resting on the small of her back and eyes closing as he savoured her nearness. They stayed like that for a moment or so, yet all too soon they broke apart, and he cleared his throat, taking in her shining eyes and flashing her a small grin in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I had to look out for my best assistant, didn't I? Let's face it, we both know how much trouble I'd be in without you to save my ass. Why would I want to give that up?"

She laughed lightly, and made to leave again. "How do you know I won't just leave you?"

Daniel titled his head, his gaze unwavering and eyes coloured that deep cobalt she knew so well. "Because it's _you and me_. At least for now, we're in this together."

There was no other answer, except for Betty to nod in quiet, steadfast agreement.

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-points to review button with big, hopeful grin-


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